Brickfixers

Overall experience was excellent. Lance was prompt when quoting, returning to look again at the job and throughout the process. We needed a chimney removed to allow complete remodel of our kitchen. It was complicated - remove a 40' tall chimney that was 2-1/2' x 4-1/2' through the roof, attic and inside the 1st & 2nd floor walls all the way to the basement ceiling without damaging the walls on the 1st or 2nd floor (kitchen renovation wouldn't start for 5 more months). Lance & his team set up scaffolding, removed exterior chimney - saving and cleaning exterior bricks for reuse since they were 100 years old and matched our house exterior. Then patched the roof and removed the attic section, dumping old brick into a dumpster. Once they removed the chimney to the attic floor, they then stood on the structure and jackhammered each layer, hauling it up by the bucketful to the attic and dumping back into the dumpster in our driveway below. This continued until they went down 26 feet to the kitchen subfloor. There was almost no residue during the process outside of our attic. Lance's crew taped off the attic, set up plastic sheeting and generally kept our living spaces clean throughout the 2 week process. Everyone was professional and we were thrilled with the end result. Based on the time taken and the number of guys on the job (about 5-6 at any given time), the total cost was fair.

Excellent workmanship with the job! Great professional crew. Would hire again in a heartbeat!

Lance's crew erected scaffolding on two sides of the house to allow access and repair of the roof. They protected windows and lower areas from falling debris and masked off the 3rd floor to control dust. It took about a week. Communication was excellent. From the quoting phase, where Lance visited 3 different times in order to view the job during the day, inside the house, etc, all the way to completion, we knew how things were progressing. The price was fair, it was a turn-key job for us - the guys did everything required, sealed the roof thoroughly and cleaned up well. Our house was kept clean and no walls were damaged on the 1st or 2nd floors. We would absolutely use them again. We received other quotes for less money, but they would not have been able to do the roof. Others cost significantly more. I think the price was fair for the job. There were a lot of unknowns, and the price we paid reflected that. In the end, they finished sooner than planned, The job was done safely, professionally, and quickly.

very well, prompt quote, started work within 3 days, crew was quiet, careful, professional and hard working, attentive to detail, excellent clean up, business owner explained everything well - I would definitely recommend brickfixer,

Beautiful job

We had a complete tear down and rebuilding of our chimney that had severe degradation of the brick.    We researched various masonry companies and chose Lance Hodgkinson's company because of his knowledge of overall construction and roofing, as well as his expertise in chimney rebuilding.   There was a waiting period before he was available because of his heavy project load, but it was well worth it:    The job was done A++++    The crew took great care to build the scaffolding to protect the gutters, shingles and landscaping, so there was no damage to roof, gutters, or shingles.  The flashing was fine also.  .   There was no construction debris left where it should not be;  the crew made sure they cleaned up after each work day.   Everybody was pleasant and hardworking and took pride in their work.  The chimney was built with brick that appears to be of better quality than the original brick, with the color matching the existing brick near the foundation of the house.  Lance's method is to build the chimney so that the top flares out to prevent large amounts of rain from running down the chimney sides, which helps prevent spalling.  Overall the job was done professionally with a concern for quality, as opposed to speed.   
In the end, for people who want a mason who is available immediately with a quick turnaround period, you might want to look elsewhere..   But if you can afford to wait a few weeks and want a nice looking, high quality chimney rebuild that will probably last a long time, then this is a company to consider.

Lance is very easy to work with and it's clear he knows what he's doing. He's very responsive and knows how to communicate the important things to a customer.

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We were working within a tight deadline for an estimate on services from Brickfixers. Lance was prompt, comprehensive and knowledgeable. He went above and beyond in his communication efforts and was able to get the estimate in my mailbox by the deadline. Explained details in writing in a succinct and accurate way that could be understood by all. Estimate charge to be credited towards future work.

Highly recommend Brickfixers! After contacting Mr. Hodgkinson through Angie's list, he set up an appointment for the next day. He took a look at the front porch and chimney and made a determination of what needed to be done without going overboard. Instead of replacing the entire front porch, he and his colleague were able to remove the damaged bricks (supporting the lowest riser), lay new supportive structure behind the brick (prevent this from happening again), and replace with brick that matched the house. They removed and replaced a crumbling brick (supporting the top riser). Inappropriate mortar remaining from another contractor was ground off. Mortar cracks from this previous work were also sealed. The team also repaired chimney bricks, built a new crown wash, and stabilized the flue. The price was reasonable. They were prompt, professional, easy to work with, and answered all my questions. My house is better protected and more beautiful as a result.

On his initial visit to the house, Lance checked all brickwork very thoroughly and also suggested a possible solution to past water intrusion problems around the flat roof. I then received a detailed and itemized proposal for the repairs via email. He and his team worked carefully and meticulously on the repairs, and I am delighted with results.

They completed the work on time.  They did so well, I had them do the chimney in the back of the house. I have an old house built in 1917 and its important to maintain the look of the original property.  I was very happy with them. I will definitely use them again.

Overall, this was a pleasant experience.  Lance responded very quickly to my call and was out the same day for an inspection, estimate and prep work.  I explained to him that I had an event coming up at my home and needed the repair completed ASAP if possible.  Despite the rainy forecast, Lance got started right away and was able to have the repair complete for my event making it possible for me to allow people to use my front door opposed to having to reroute them through my garage.  I absolutely appreciated Lance's willingness to fit my emergency repair into his schedule in order to meet my deadline.  I also appreciated the fact that Lance explained to me that the final step to this repair would be to put the sand in the spacing between the bricks to fill in the gaps.  He explained that he did not do this because of the event at my home, which was going to generate a lot of people traffic walking on this area into my home and he did not want the sand transferred into my home.  This was quite considerate.  He offered to come back after the event for this final step.
I would recommend and use Lance for any future projects.  I perceived him to be an honest businessman who was interested in providing a service at a reasonable price opposed to taking advantage of a situation and over quoting the job. 

From the very start this was a great experience. 
Lance met with me the very day I called to get a quote. Prior to his arrival, I visited his web site and read two of his articles that described "spalling" and the "Painted Chimney Syndrome." When Lance arrived, he looked at both chimneys as well as the interior damage that resulted  from one of the chimneys. 
Lance spent a great deal of time with me; he provided clear, understandable information, and answered every question thoroughly. We even drove over 2 blocks so I could see 3 other homes where he has done the chimney rebuilds. Lance offered references, phone numbers, everything I needed. I was offered a start date about 2 weeks out, which was perfect; except I didn't make a decision until that date had passed. Nonetheless, when Lance and I spoke again, work commenced the next day.
While the scaffolding was being erected, Lance brought me several (new) brick samples from which to choose - all decisions were mine to make, but I did get Lance's input every step of the way. 
Lance's specialty is an aesthetically pleasing, innovative chimney design that allows me to have unpainted chimneys that don't conflict with my painted brick house. The stone transition bands compliment the stone front of the house; the additional corbels provide better chimney protection and give a unique, finished look to the house design. When the house is repainted in the future, the new chimneys will stay unpainted - that is the rationale behind the entire project.
The work was completed quickly - especially as we were headed into winter. Craftsmen were here regularly, on time, and performed daily cleanup. When the job was finished, there was no trace of 'work' left behind.
This was a wonderful outcome to a distressing and ugly chimney problem. From my perspective, Lance and his crew provide craftsmanship rather than just masonry work. 
I did document the work with a series of photographs -  both before and after pictures of both chimneys. I had wanted to post a few pictures with my review, but it doesn't seem I can do so. At any rate, check out Lance's web site; I gave him copies of all the pictures and he may have had time to post a few by now.

The Brickfixers did a fantastic job from beginning to end.  Lance was prompt in returning my call and giving me an estimate on the work that needed to be done.  Arrangements were made to begin work and everything proceeded accordingly, despite the storms that blew through the Cleveland area just before our work was begun.  The team did a great job of restoring our bricks to their original appearance , matching mortar and bricks very well.  Our chimneys now look great. We are also very pleased with the tuckpointing done around the foundation of the house and the clean up after they were finished.  They worked diligently and carefully.  I only have positive things to say about these guys.  Job well done!

Lance answered his phone immediately and was at my home within an hour to assess the job.  His written estimate was detailed and e-mailed to me within two days of his initial visit.  After agreeing to the estimate the work began the next day and was completed within two days.  Lance was very knowledgeable and communicated very clearly how the work would proceed.  When I had a question he addressed it right away.  Overall, a very positive experience with this contractor. 

Lance does the slate work himself along with his assistant, Willie, who has been with him for many years.  He has a stockpile of antique slates so he was able to replace broken slates with slates that matched those original to our house.  As it happens, once he got into it, the job was more involved than expected.  However, Lance is very fair and we were more than pleased with the work.  Lance and his team "go the extra mile" to make sure that the job is not only done right, it exceeds expectation.

The job that Lance and his crew did exceeded my expectations.  They set up scaffolding to work on both chimneys and were very professional.  John, who did the chimney rebuild, is a top level craftsman who takes pride in his work.  They were able to find bricks that matched the originals and tinted the mortar to look identical to what existed previously.  They also matched the original brick design.  I have not seen a better chimney rebuild anywhere in Shaker Heights!The crew worked hard and carefully each day and cleaned up so that there was minimal disruption despite the fact that this was major construction.  They were also attentive to make sure that we were pleased with every step of the job.
 

The job was completed in one day as anticipated without any unforseen problems. I was extremely satisfied as it was quick, prompt and professionally done as we had discussed.  I would definitely recommend and use Brickfixers in the future if I should ever need masonry services again.

My chimney was in bad shape and needed immediate attention. Lance came and gave a reasonable estimate and was able to complete the job in a timely manner. 

Lance showed up on time for the appointment to do the estimate. Explained clearly what could and could not be done. We agreed on teh work to be accomplished. The crew started exactly on the appointed day. The crew was great, cleaned up and did a very professional job. Lance was around to check on them. They forgot the inside of the garage, but as soon as I pointed it out, they wer back immediately to rectify. We were very pleased witht eh preformance and the quality of teh job.

Lance Hodgkinson, owner of Brickfixers, was friendly and professional. In providing the quote, he listened to and addressed all my concerns. Of particular note, there was a question raised at our pre-sale home inspection regarding the construction of our fireplace. Mr. Hodgkinson inspected the construction in question and thoughtfully provided explanations and reassurance, making some sensible recommendations about general maintenance of the fireplace and chimney. Using a mortar mix that is an almost identical match to the color and texture of the existing mortar, he repaired the loose mortar in our chimney and several other places around our home and corrected the cosmetics of tuckpoints/repair done by previously by someone else. Mr. Hodgkinson recognized the major issues in repairing a shifting window sill including the care required to remove and set it in the correct position without damaging the sandstone structure. He also went beyond the job to provide some basic troubleshooting on an outside outlet that is not functioning properly. Mr. Hodgkinson cleaned up all debris created by the work before he finished and called later in the evening to confirm that we were happy with the results. The service and results are terrific!

Outstanding professionalism and results. Worth every penny! We contacted several masonry specialists highly rated by Angie's List when we noticed the dreaded stair-step cracks in the mortar of our 15 year old, newly-purchased home. The cracks were located in the most prominent location (of course!) on our brick facade, so we were very concerned about the cosmetic result of any repair. Other contractors seemed uninterested in the job, even directly telling us that the job was too small to be worth their effort to match the mortar. From our first telephone conversation, Mr. Hodgkinson indicated that he understood our concern about the visibility of the repair location. He traveled outside his usual service area to look at the job and give us an estimate for the repair. He was upfront about the challenges of matching colors, especially since the existing mortar was now aged by the environment, but he expressed willingness to do his best to achieve a good match. He returned promptly on the day of the repair with an assistant, who addressed the weep holes and waterproofing issues while Mr. Hodgkinson himself worked on the cosmetically-sensitive repair. One month later, the repair is nearly invisible. The only indications of a repair are some minor dustiness of the surrounding brick where the mortar was ground out (Mr. Hodgkinson advised waiting until the summer to rinse this with the garden hose), and a VERY subtle shade difference that is already fading as the new mortar cures. Amazing! Mr. Hodgkinson's website (brickfixer.com) shows some incredible artistry in repairing complicated masonry, but even for relatively simple jobs (that don't seem so insignificant when they are on your own house) he does truly incredible work. We are really, really happy!

It went very well. They did an excellent job. Our chimneys are very tall, so it was difficult to find anyone who was even willing to do the job They did a good job of matching the brick and the mortar, and they cleaned up well. They showed up when they said they would, and we would definitely use them again.

TUCKPOINTED CHIMNEY AND MADE MASONRY REPAIRS TO FIX A SATURATION PROBLEM; HE WAS KNOWLEABLE AND RELIABLE